Chasing Perfection
by The Mountain
Summary: Azula is looking to bring the Avatar and his friends down, but Aang isn't going to make it easy for her. CURRENTLY WITH NEW CHAPTER THREE ENDING
1. Assault On The Western Air Temple

BOOOOOM!

Zuko woke up in an instant. Mere moments passed before his tired stupor gave way to intense awareness; his life in exile had prepared him for moments like this. His eyes did a once over on the group, who were all laying in their makeshift beds. Only Aang was standing, and a cloud of smoke flew in the air where the Avatar had saved his friends from dying in an explosion.

BOOOOOM!

Zuko heard another blast and saw one of the bridges of the Western Air Temple collapse. More bombs were headed towards them, but Aang quickly used his airbending to close the massive metallic blinds that served as a defense grid for the Nomads who had once called it home. They were protected from the bombs, but the explosions sent tremors through the stone structures of the temple. Cracks formed in the ceiling as the stones threatened to give way.

Several of those rocks were about to fall on Katara. Zuko rushed towards her, screaming "Watch out!" But he wasn't going to wait for her to move; he tackled the Southern Waterbender and they tumbled safely away from the fallen rubble.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked incredulously, hardly an appropriate response considering he had just saved her life.

"Keeping rocks from crushing you," he answered.

"Okay, not crushed. You can get off me now!" she retorted and ran off to help The Duke put Teo in his wheelchair so they could escape. Annoyed and insulted, Zuko mockingly said "I'll take that as a thank you," to himself.

"Come on, we can get out through here!" cried Toph, the blind earthbending master. She and Haru, another earthbender traveling with the group, had created a tunnel in the back wall as an escape route. The group was already heading towards the tunnels, with Chit Sang leading the pack. _I'm so glad we rescued him from the Boiling Rock_, Zuko sarcastically mused to himself. Instead of following, Zuko stood his ground. He had a bad feeling about this attack and who was leading it.

"What are you doing?" Aang called out to him, frustrated that he was preventing their retreat.

"Go ahead, I'll hold them off!" he said in answer, and then turned to look at the crumbling wall. "I think this is a family visit," he said, more to himself than Aang and bolted to face the airships. He barely heard Aang call out "Zuko! NO!" as he ran, leaped over the remains of the metal shields and across the air temple. Another bomb exploded in front of him, but he leaped through the smoke and launched a fireball at the nearest airship.

The gut feeling he had was confirmed as a young girl in ebony and crimson body armor came into view, the bangs of her black hair blowing in the wind and a wicked, disturbing smile on her face, riding in the crow's nest of another ship. It was his sister, Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation. Staring into her wild eyes as the ship continued to fly upward, Zuko called out to her, "What are you doing here?"

She threw her hands up into the air, shrugging mockingly. "You mean it's not obvious yet?" she taunted, and then screeched, "I'm about to to celebrate becoming an ONLY CHILD!" And with that response, she flipped forward on the gate and kicked out, sending a devastating stream of blue fire towards him. The blast destroyed the columns holding up the temple and sent Zuko flying. As he landed, Zuko thought to himself, _Ask a stupid question, get a psychotic answer._

With the ceiling about to crush him and the airships still threatening to kill him outright, Zuko rushed towards the ships. Dodging the fire blasts and the crumbling ruins, he used a falling column as a ramp to get greater height on his jump. Leaping off into the air, Zuko aimed a pair of fireballs at his sister. He couldn't tell if his attacks succeeded; he was desperately trying to get a grip on the side of the ship. The slick metal surface proved impossible to grab, and Zuko slid down and off, free falling through the mist that masked a deep canyon.

Zuko looked down, and a mass of steel was rising through the fog. Forcing himself to flip forward, he shot flames from his hands and feet to slow his descent. By sheer luck, another airship was under him; it must have been patrolling the canyon before hearing the battle overhead. With the fire slowing him down, Zuko was able to land safely on the airship. The firebender in the crow's nest leaped down to Zuko's level and attacked, but Zuko was able to block his shots and then kicked into the air, knocking him off balance. Zuko charged himself for another attack and blasted the firebender off the side of the ship; were it not for the safety wire, he would have fallen to his death.

With a few moments peace, Zuko breathed slowly as the ship rose. He needed to be calm when facing Azula; he was far better prepared to battle her now than he had been in Ba Sing Se. But she was still one of the most dangerous firebenders in the world, and a master at manipulating people into making stupid mistakes. Especially him; the banished Fire Prince had a history of being rash and naïve. Neither of those traits were conducive to lasting more than a few minutes with his sister.

Zuko waited for the ship to rise high enough to jump to the other one. Once again their eyes met, and he wasted no time on words; the venomous disdain in her eyes was all the invitation he needed. After a running start he leaped towards his sister, kicking away a column of fire before sending an attack of his own. Azula dodged, but Zuko at least had his feet on the relatively flat surface of the airship. It was equal, if unsure, footing for what was about to take place.

The duel began in earnest, as the two siblings attacked and parried each other's flaming attacks, battling evenly. Orange flames clashed with blue in a brilliant display of firebending prowess. Zuko's blasts were slower, but more precise and controlled, and Azula's were wild attacks, dangerous but less refined. He was surprised at this; she had always been the perfectionist, and until recently he had been the one flailing around like a mad hogmonkey. Zuko wondered what had triggered her lack of precision, what caused this contest to be so opposite in nature to their previous fights.

"You're losing your touch, Azula!" he called out, dodging another haphazard blast of flames. "Did you finally realize that even you can't be perfect?"

She stopped attacking for a few seconds and glared at him, breathing heavily. She seemed to be pondering his words, but only for a minute; the sinister grin was back on her face, and she laughed at him. It was a quiet, subdued laugh, with an eerie menace that made Zuko's stomach turn.

"I'm the kind of perfect you only dream you could be," she corrected. "I'm going to enjoy killing you, _brother."_

"Sorry, not going to happen on my watch!" called out a third voice, and a wall of flame separated the two siblings. The Avatar landed gracefully a few meters from Zuko, standing his ground and assuming a perfect fighting pose as his fiery barrier dissipated. Zuko was always amazed at how such a carefree, perpetually happy monk was able to transform into a fierce, focused warrior when the need arose. It was a stark contrast to the goofy child that he had battled when they had been on opposing sides. Then, he'd only been playing. Now, he was completely dedicated to the task at hand.

Zuko was glad to be fighting alongside Aang.

"This is just my lucky day, isn't it?" Azula cackled. "My traitorous brother and the Avatar, right in front of me. It's a shame really; I was looking forward to taking my time with you two," she continued in a condescending tone that was all too familiar with Zuko.

Azula spun and kicked, sending a blazing arch that attacked them both at the same time. Zuko easily bent his way through the cerulean flames, and Aang spun his glider staff rapidly to shield himself from the blast. He had used this same technique against the prince in their first confrontation, but now he followed it up by slashing his staff and sending a blade of air at Azula; she dodged and Zuko sent two powerful fire blasts her way. She waved them off and sent flame from her fists and feet, jetting towards Aang but Zuko thrusts his palms forward and created a block of fire that forced her to change direction.

The two-on-one attack proved to be effective; any time Azula attempted to attack one of them, the other would save their partner and the princess would be forced to deal with a fresh onslaught of fire and air as she attempted to plan her next move. They weren't able to pin her down; she was too fast. But she was expending far more energy than either of them, and it wouldn't be long before she would be forced to surrender from sheer exhaustion.

Naturally, both Avatar and prince underestimated Azula; as she corkscrewed over a small cyclone that Aang had sent her way, Zuko watched as a door in the airship opened, and this time it was two Dai Li agents that came. These elite earthbenders had proven too much for Zuko in Ba Sing Se, and Azula had brought them with her to the Fire Nation as her personal security force. _Of course they are here_, he thought, mentally kicking himself. _How could I be so stupid? It's never this easy!_

As Zuko turned to face the new threat, the first agent sent his rock glove towards Aang, who was avoiding fireballs from Azula. "LOOK OUT!" Zuko shouted, and luckily Aang turned around and sprawled just before the stony fist made contact.

Zuko sent a few blasts at the earthbenders, and they returned his attacks with the stone missiles. One of the feet hit the prince in the ribs, causing him to double over with pain. Now Aang rushed into battle with them, using the firebending tactics he had mastered while using the Dancing Dragon form. Zuko barely had time to admire his growth in skill, as Azula was now engaging him at close range combat. Before, this would have been a cakewalk for Azula, but now Zuko was able to avoid most of her strikes and finally just kicked her legs out from under her, not even firebending.

Zuko was looking at Aang, and this time noticed that his hands were bound in the metal cuffs that the Dai Li used against fellow Earthbenders, as Toph was the only known bender who had learned how to manipulate metal to her will. Aang was under serious threat of capture, and Zuko rushed forward and grabbed the chain. He superheated the links until the metal touching the Dai Li's wrist scorched him and forced him to cool his hands. Meanwhile, Aang had breathed cold air onto the key slot, covering it in ice and making it easy for Zuko to break the chain with a powerful axe kick.

Before he had rescued Aang from that threat, another was coming; Azula was sending a stream of flame towards him and Zuko violently shoved Aang out of the way and countered the sneak attack with his own. The orange parted the blue and he saw his sister growl in frustration.

"Sorry Aang!" he apologized offhandedly, and resumed his attack.

* * *

Aang didn't question his intentions, partially because he was too busy blocking the Dai Li's attacks; he was able to use his own earthbending powers to stop them and formed them into a shield of sorts. There wasn't much else he could do with his hands bound in the cuffs, he turned around to see the prince and princess battling, and realized that the situation was becoming dire. He hadn't been entirely confidant that he and Zuko would have been able to defeat Azula; with the Dai Li here as well and the rest of the crew bound to arrive any minute, not to mention the fact that they were all fighting on an airship miles above a rocky canyon, it was a lost cause.

Aang watched as Azula blocked every fire blast that Zuko sent her way, and sent her own blasts that were blocked by the banished prince. It was a stalemate, but it had to end. Aang directed his rock shield towards her as a missile that she couldn't simply brush off with firebending, and with Zuko's attacks occupying her full attention, she was unable to move. The stone smashed into her chest and she rolled down the airship before the Dai Li followed her and grabbed her hands to keep her from falling to her doom.

"Come on, we need to get out of here!" Aang grabbed his glider, activated the wings and threw it into the sky before airbending himself onto it. "Grab on!" he called to Zuko, and felt the prince grab his ankles. It was difficult to fly with his cuffed hands so close together, but fortunately Appa had been flying close; Aang had told Katara to guide the bison and his cargo (Toph, Sokka and Suki) out of range of Azula but near enough for a quick escape. He was able to drop Zuko in the saddle and land seconds later.

"Toph, Aang has metal handcuffs on, help him out!" Sokka yelled; the rush of the air and the crackling sounds of fireballs forced them all to raise their voices.

Aang offered his hands to her, but was shoved face-first into the saddle by Zuko.

"STAY DOWN! ALL OF YOU!" he shouted, and Aang obeyed without hesitation.

* * *

Zuko had barely landed on the bison when he had looked back to the airship, and to his horror, Azula was back on her feet. Worse yet, her arms were moving in the familiar circular motion that the greatest firebenders used to generate lightning. There was no time to waste; her precision would leave him no room for failure. Mere moments after he yelled his warning, the electricity surged into his fingertips. It took all of his strength to direct the energy through his stomach and out his other arm, crashing through air, safely away from the passengers and safely out of his body.

For the second time in his life, Zuko had redirected lightning. The first time had been a terrifying experience, but he had been prepared for it, and when he was running through the bunker, safe from the Fire Lord's wrath, he had felt an adrenalin rush knowing he had pulled it off. But this time, he hadn't even had time to be afraid; he knew that not all of the lightning had been redirected. He could still feel his muscles tense up from the shock.

If he had a few more seconds to prepare for the attack, he would have redirected the lightning directly back at his sister without hesitation. It would have killed her, but Zuko would have done it; she had to be brought down. There wasn't any room for compassion or mercy. With such short moments to react, he had sent the lightning harmlessly into the air. He could have ended it then and there, if only he hadn't been caught by surprise.

If only.

Zuko watched Toph rip Aang's shackles apart and collapsed; his body involuntarily shook as the painful, but not lethal, electricity worked its way through his muscles before escaping.

"Zuko, are you okay?" Aang asked.

"I'm f-fine," he stammered. "Just a little shook up."

"Katara, see if you can help him," he called, and the waterbender faithfully left the reigns and went to Zuko's side, with the healing water covering her hands. Zuko caught a look at her eyes, and understood that she was doing this because Aang asked, and not because she cared about him. She was still disgusted with him.

"Aang, we have to get out of here!" Sokka reminded them.

"I know!" and Zuko watched him pick up his glider staff. "You guys fly out of here; I'll go hold Azula off."

"WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY?" Katara and Zuko yelled in unison.

"You can't!" Katara scolded.

"She'll kill you!" Zuko added matter-of-factly.

"It's me she's after, and we can't get past all of these airships!" Aang yelled. "I'll hold her attention while you guys fly to safety, and I'll catch up with you as soon as I can. Now go!"

"Aang, don't..." Katara began, but Aang cut her off, shouting "GO!" and then taking off before they could stop him. Zuko crawled over the edge of the saddle and watched Aang fly right back to the airship and start battling the Dai Li, knocking the half dozen of them down with one fluid moment before shooting fireballs at will.

"AANG!" Katara yelled.

It was too late to change the situation, and Zuko had to trust that Aang knew what he was doing and would get out safely. He forced himself to climb out of the saddle and onto Appa's head. He grabbed the reigns and started to steer them away from the battle.

"What are you DOING?" Katara frantically yelled at him.

"What Aang asked me to do," he snapped, and directed the bison south. There were several remote islands between here and the Fire Nation, all uninhabited. They would go there and wait for Aang to come back, and...

Zuko's suddenly felt a cool, watery tendril around his neck. Before he realized what was happening, it constricted around his neck and began to strangle him. As air was choked out of him, Zuko desperately tried to pull it away, but his hands only touched water. He could hear shouting, but couldn't distinguish what was being said. He struggled and gasped for any air to enter his lungs, and felt himself blacking out.

Just as suddenly as the water had wrapped around him, it lost its form and collapsed, drenching Zuko. He coughed and took in as much life-giving oxygen as he could with every breath. He vowed to appreciate every breath from now on; how could he have ever taken such a precious thing as air for granted?

"LET ME GO!" Katara shrieked. "I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL KILL HIM!"

"KATARA, SETTLE DOWN!" Sokka yelled, trying to sound imposing but obviously horrified.

"Don't tell me to settle down!" she roared. "He's leaving Aang to be killed by that monster! He's betrayed all of us!"

Zuko turned around, and saw Sokka and Suki trying to wrestle her down, keeping her from pouring her wrath on him. He watched in shock, still clutching his throat, as Toph placed the Dai Li handcuffs around her legs to restrain her.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" Katara flailed in a vain attempt to escape. "You're just letting him leave Aang! He's betrayed us! He led his sister right to us, and now she's going to kill Aang! LET ME GO!"

"Katara, don't be ridiculous!" Sokka shouted. "Zuko isn't our enemy. He's had plenty of chances to kill Aang himself, and he hasn't. Dad, Suki and I would still be in prison if it wasn't for him! He's proved himself!"

"DON'T BE STUPID!" she yelled. "HE'S EVIL, JUST LIKE THE REST OF HIS FAMILY! I'LL KILL HIM!"

Zuko made a mental note to thank Sokka for his loyalty. Katara lunged at him, but Suki leaped on top of her to protect Zuko. She pulled her back into the saddle and Zuko saw her tie a knot around her arms.

"HOW COULD YOU?" Katara continued to scream. "HOW COULD YOU?"

"Zuko, GET US OUT OF HERE!" Sokka yelled, bringing Zuko back to reality. Grabbing Appa's reigns, he continued to guide the sky bison away from the Western Air Temple. Away from the airships and Azula.

Away from Aang.

"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE HIM?" Katara shouted at the group through sobs. She was an emotional wreck, crying and growling and trying to escape.

"AANG! AANG!" she shouted, but Zuko dutifully directed Appa to safety, even as his own instincts were telling him to go back and rescue him.

Katara continued to call out the Avatar's name as they flew, but gradually, her shrieks turned to coughs as she strained her vocal cords, and soon she was weeping uncontrollably.

_Aang, you better be okay, _Zuko thought to himself, _or it'll be my neck._

* * *

This is Princess Azula.

By birth, she was the youngest child of Fire Lord Ozai and his wife, Ursa, and a prodigy, the most naturally gifted firebender since her great-grandfather Sozin, and possibly longer than that. What her brother Zuko took years to learn, she perfected in minutes. It came easy to her. But it wasn't the only thing that came easy to her; she was able to bend the minds of humans to her will as easy as she could fire. It was she who had infiltrated Ba Sing Se and turned the city's Dai Li Agents against the Earth King and his generals, bringing down the Earth Kingdom capital, succeeding where three Fire Lords and hundreds of generals had failed. She was not a token princess who sat there looking pretty; she was a national hero, beloved by all the citizens of her nation.

And feared by them. Her cold, seemingly unfeeling personality was every bit as legendary as her bending prowess. Azula had little use for emotions; they served as distractions. She was born and bred for perfection, and perfection was her goal. Anything less was unacceptable. Love, joy, sadness, and fear were weakness; only strength and intelligence mattered, for they were the keys to power. She felt these things from time to time, but usually suppressed them, lest they interfere with her plans. Because of this, she was callous, dismissive, and pompous. Everything else in the world was beneath her; all that mattered were her desires and how she could achieve them.

In only one situation did she allow herself to feel happiness; combat. One would never be able to tell that her fighting was fueled by emotion; she remained focused, precise and deadly. But that is why she enjoyed it. In battle, she could firebend and enjoy the extent of the awesome power she wielded. She loved to see the fear in her opponent's eyes when they realized how hopeless they were against her, and relished the pain she caused whenever her cobalt flames seared the flesh of her victims. Some would call it sadism, but in truth, it was simply the purest expression of everything she valued. Power. Control. Skill. In battle, she had no equals, and that was exactly what she desired. Only through fighting could she express herself fully, without the restraints the facade of civility demanded.

Most would have grown complacent in her position, but she never experienced contentment. She was always ambitious, always looking for a new challenge to overcome, a new honor to win, a new person to manipulate, a new battle to win. Azula was obsessed with her self-image; none could be prettier, smarter, braver, or more dangerous than her. She would not have it, would not tolerate being inferior, would not accept defeat.

This is what drove her to pursue the Avatar, for his continued existence was her greatest failure. She had done what no other person had ever done in history; she had slain the Avatar in the Avatar State, not only killing the present Avatar, but destroying the Avatar Spirit. She had studied and planned and waited and chose her moment to strike, and took him out when he was at his most powerful, and most vulnerable. This should have been her greatest accomplishment, something that could never be outdone or repeated. She would not simply be a legend, but THE legend. Her name would be immortalized in the history of the world: Azula, Slayer of the Avatar.

But she had miscalculated. An unforeseen, miraculous variable had entered the equation; Water from the Spirit Oasis from the Northern Water Tribe. She had been suspicious when Zuko hesitated to admit the fall of the Avatar, and once Zuko ran away to join him, she went through his belongings and learned of his conversation with the Water Tribe peasant, the girl who had offered to heal his scar. The knowledge of that water had driven him mad; he knew the Avatar was alive.

Now she knew. This time, there would be no unexpected, last-second intervention. There would be no errors, no miscalculations, no overconfidence. She would kill him, and the Avatar Spirit, again. Rectify her mistake, finish the job. She would not leave him for dead, but lock his body away where none could find it. He would be her greatest trophy, her most prized possession, her most legendary accomplishment.

She would be the greatest human who ever lived, and her name would live on forever.

This is Azula, Princess of Fire.

* * *

The Avatar was able to fight off the Dai Li Agents with relative ease now that he knew they were there. His first move had been to swing his glider a full three hundred and sixty degrees, creating distance for him to start firebending at them. The combination of his natural affinity for the art combined with Zuko's structured, ridged training allowed him to fend off all six of the agents. But he was only stalling; he could fight them off, but he couldn't beat them. Not now at any rate.

If only he hadn't blocked his seventh chakra by saving Katara, he could go into the Avatar State and would probably be able to defeat the crews of all three airships that had invaded the temple. But even now, when his life was in danger, he did not regret that decision. There were more important things than power and safety.

Finally, one of the agents pinned his foot to the ground with his stone fist, and before Aang could remove it, he was forced to narrowly evade two more of the rocky projectiles, one aimed at his heart and another for his head. After an awkward dodge, he removed the rock on his foot and threw it at one of the agents, who caught it and turned it back into the signature stone glove before sending the one on his other hand in Aang's direction.

"Back off!" a shrill voice shouted, and the Dai Li immediately obeyed, giving Aang a wide berth. He turned around and saw Azula, arms crossed at chest level, and smirking at him. "The Avatar is mine, and mine alone!"

"Aren't you a little over confidant?" Aang retorted. "Thanks to your brother, I've now mastered all the elements. What chance do you have against me?" He picked up his glider staff and assumed a casual, neutral combat stance.

To his surprise, she simply laughed. "Mastered? I've seen your little firebending recital. It's a cute display, but it's nothing compared to what a true master is capable of!" Her smirk had changed to a devilish smile, like the cat who caught the sparrowkeet.

"I've heard that before," Aang taunted back, recalling how he had tricked Zhao into defeating himself in a mockery of a duel several months ago. "But I don't need to be a Master Firebender to defeat you."

"Of course you don't," she sneered. "All you have to do is go into the Avatar State. All the power of the past Avatars...why, I wouldn't stand a chance! So why don't you get it over with? I know you want me gone, so do it!"

It was true; in the Avatar State, she would be no more threat to him than a spiderfly. In theory anyway. Last time he had been in the state, she had ended his life. But then, it had been a treacherous surprise attack, and Aang didn't think she could pull it off a second time. Clearly, she thought differently. She wasn't the first to underestimate the State's near limitless power. Others thought they could control it; she thought she could defeat it. Not that it mattered; he couldn't go into the State anyway.

"You seem a little over-eager," Aang voiced his perceptions. "You wouldn't have any ulterior motives, would you? Like trying to kill the Avatar Spirit, so that I won't be reborn into the Water Tribe?"

Once again, Aang was shocked to see Azula's reaction; a wide, murderous smile. "So you aren't as stupid as you seem," she mocked. "But then, you'll also know you don't stand a chance of getting out of here without going into the State, so you'll just have to risk it."

Now it was his turn to smile; through a bizarre twist of fate, they were both denied what they wanted. He could not escape without the State, and she could not kill him without the State. Perhaps his rash, reckless decision to save Katara instead of master the State was finally paying dividends.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness," he playfully apologized. "But I can't go into the Avatar State lately. Some girl cut off my spiritual connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe last time. I haven't been able to enter it since."

At this, Azula's eyes widened, as Aang knew they would. He was mostly lying to her, though he had his suspicions that the lethal attack had more to do with his inability to channel the Avatar Spirit than his blocked chakra. But here, it was just a way to torment her. Not only was she denied victory, but it was her fault.

"LIAR!" she roared. "Enough games, Avatar. It's time for you to die!"

"Actually, since my life is so valuable, I think I'll be just fine," he corrected. "Even if I wasn't lying, I wouldn't give in now; I don't fall victim to the schemes of mad women."

Once again, Azula cackled. "Mad, am I?" she said rhetorically. "Perhaps, though that is none of your concern. Either you will go into the State so I can kill you, or you will rot away in a dungeon until the end of your days. It makes no difference to me!" For once, her confidence seemed insincere to Aang, forced. She was bluffing. For some reason, Aang knew it made a world of difference to her.

_Of course! _he realized. _She wants all the glory of killing me, ending the Avatar Spirit's existence, for herself!_

"Well, if you want to imprison me, you'll have to catch me first!" Without a second's hesitation, Aang kicked off the ground, looped in the air on his glider, and flew, dodging the Dai Li's gloves and fire blasts from the airships, and started to head north. He had seen Appa fly south, and he would lead Azula as far away from his friends as possible. Soaring through the air, he watched as the Dai Li went into the airships, and watched Azula stare him down before going inside herself.

And so the chase began.


	2. Nowhere to Run

Nearly the entire day passed as Aang continued to fly farther and farther north. Though typically associated with the Northern Water Tribe, that nation only occupied a tiny section of the ice continent, far to the east. The western half was typified by colossal mountains, covered in snow and almost uninhabitable. These mountains came into Aang's view, and not a moment too soon. He was dead tired from flying; his glider required him to bend the air currents whenever he needed lift, and was not suited for long-distance travel. That's what bison were for.

The airships did not cease in their pursuit, and with no land for miles he was forced to cross the ocean. They followed, but did not attack. They were waiting for him to give up. The thought had crossed his mind; hours without food or rest, with nothing but sea beneath him, made prison seem preferable. But now, with a place to land, to get just a few minutes respite, he found the energy to continue. He created a thermal air current and gradually ascended to the top of the mountain range. Dutifully, the airships flew higher into the air, but he was still several hundred feet out of their range.

As his flight sent him above the cordillera, he was surprised to see an enormous mass of flat ice resting between four of the larger mountains. Smaller peaks jutted out of the ice; some jagged, pointy protrusions and some rounded and almost flat. Intrigued, or perhaps just desperate to be on solid footing, Aang dove down and landed on one of the domed peaks. It was tempting to simply fall over and sleep, but he knew he couldn't afford that luxury. He gingerly walked to the edge of the rock and started to bend the ice. He created a makeshift bowl and melted some of the ice into drinking water, filling the bowl and gulping it down without interruption. It took two more bowlfuls to satiate him. His thirst quenched, he noticed that the circle of ice he had been bending now looked dangerously thin; he melted the rest of the way through with little effort.

This bizarre sheet of ice was no more than two feet thick, and there was several hundred feet of space between it and the valley below. Countless centuries without human disturbance had allowed the ice to build naturally. Aang could very well have been the first man to ever see or step foot in this place. The ice was a natural death-trap; one false move could send it crumbling. With a small army of firebenders and one crazed leader, there was plenty of opportunity for false moves.

Aang had found his escape route.

Intuitively, he knew that Azula would face him one on one. If he could trap her in this natural prison, the airships and their crew would have to come to her rescue. This would give him the time to escape, fly far enough that they could no longer track him. He didn't look forward to another long flight, but it was better than being hounded by the Fire Nation until he collapsed from exhaustion. Aang turned to face the airships, sat down and watched them approach.

This would be his last stand.

* * *

A gentle rattling of steel woke Azula, and she recognized it as someone knocking on her door.

"What is it?" she asked, not in the least irritated. She had given specific instructions about when to wake her up, and this could only mean good news.

"The Avatar has stopped fleeing, Princess," the soldier answered, and a wry smile formed on Azula's face. "We are at the northern ice continent, in the mountains on the west side. Colonel Shyno awaits further orders," he clarified further.

"Excellent. I shall be there in five minutes to give those orders," she stated in response.

"Very good, Princess," he grunted, and she could hear his footsteps, loud and eager to be away from her.

Azula yawned and stretched, then went to work putting her battle armor back on. After four hours of watching the glider fly further and further north, she had grown bored and instructed Shyno to continue tracking the Avatar while she rested. The faint glow of sunset was creeping through her small window, telling her that it been almost six hours since she fell asleep. Azula laughed at this thought; he had been flying for ten hours straight, with no reprieve. He would be exhausted. She had eaten a meal befitting a princess and slept soundly for a quarter of the day. She was perfectly ready to fight. It was grossly unfair, but then, fair play had never mattered to Azula.

This was going to be easy. She would revel in every second of it.

Azula called her personal attendant into the room, and sat down as her hair was tied into her signature topknot. She could never manage her hair, having been pampered her entire life by servants, and was always annoyed at this situation. Her hair was something she could not control, which she hated, but fixing it was beneath her. Of course, leaving it unkempt was far worse; part of being the perfect princess was looking the part. It was this thought that kept her impatiently contrite as the hairdresser went about her task.

Once the attendant finished, Azula left her room i an eager rush and climbed the ladder into the cockpit; she had demanded a room close to the people running the ship, even if it was small and unworthy of her station. She needed to be near enough to give orders and fix stupid mistakes. It was a minor shock to her that they had managed to track the Avatar in her absence.

"Colonel Shyno, I've been informed that the Avatar has stopped trying to escape," she recounted, announcing her presence and calling the pilots, captain, and bodyguards to attention as well. They all bowed and returned to their previous tasks, though more nervously. Azula smirked; she loved the effect she had on people, how fear kept them all in line.

Shyno bowed as well, and then nodded. "Yes, Princess, it seems our chase is at an end."

"Very good. Did the poor thing finally wear himself out?" she ventured with false sweetness.

"Perhaps, though he isn't acting like it," Shyno responded, and then pointed to a telescope. "See for yourself, Princess."

Azula stepped up to the telescope and peeked through it; sure enough, the Avatar was sitting on a peak, surrounded by ice, staring at the airships with the focus of one who expected to be attacked at any moment. _Defiant to the very last, _she thought. Azula couldn't help but grin, reluctantly admiring his courage in the face of impossible odds. He had shown that same courage in the ghost town in the Earth Kingdom, where she dueled both him and her brother. It was the spirit of a firebender; she had respected it then, and she respected it now. It was almost a shame he was the Avatar, for she had never met a more worthy adversary.

"So he's still going to fight," she said joyfully. "How amusing. I guess it's rude to keep him waiting. Lower the ship Colonel."

"Do you want us to open fire, Princess?"

"No," she rebuked with unneeded hostility. "I will engage the Avatar alone, and coax him into the Avatar State so I can end this problem once and for all."

"And what if that doesn't work, Princess?" Shyno prodded, irritating her. "Shouldn't we have a back-up plan?"

She sighed dismissively, letting him know that she thought he was stupid. "Very well," she relented. "Drop off a few small groups around the area, led by my Dai Li agents, and have them surround the Avatar."

"With all due respect, Princess, my soldiers are not fond of your earthbender pets."

"Then they will have to get over it, _Colonel_," she growled. "First you question my ability to take care of the Avatar myself, then you question my orders. You are either very brave or very stupid." Her eyes shifted their focus to him, a murderous gaze.

Shyno backed off submissively. "Forgive me, Princess. I am only interested in your safety; you are perfectly capable and you do not need my counsel."

"I _am _perfectly capable," she repeated with a tone of finality. "Send the troops and the Dai Li anyway; if the Avatar refuses to go into the state, I'll need their skill to capture him. If I kill him, I'll need somebody to carry the body on board. If I haven't finished the Avatar off before they get there, they may engage him."

Shyno bowed again. "Very good, Princess. We will do as you say. Best of luck."

"I won't need it," Azula corrected angrily, and then jumped down the hole with the ladder and headed towards the firebender platforms; she would leap off of them and fight the Avatar. Soon, she was accompanied by several sets of footsteps so quiet that only someone as attentive and familiar with the Dai Li as Azula could have noticed them.

"Princess, we have been informed that we are to lead small squads of soldiers into battle with the Avatar," the spokesman said in his quiet, eerie voice.

"That is correct."

"Are you not confidant in your ability to defeat him, Princess?" he asked, his voice marked with respect and none of the Colonel's smarmy fake concern. The Dai Li agents were loyal to her. They admired her in a way that no Fire Nation soldier could comprehend. He was not mocking, but almost seemed fearful that there was a threat she couldn't handle.

"Killing him will be easy enough," she assured him. "But if he refuses to go into the State and capture is our only option, I will need your help. I can be subtle when I want to be, but you are the true masters of stealth and coordination."

"You flatter us, Princess," he said, the faintest hint of happiness coloring his dry monotone.

"Rest assured, I don't intend on leaving you anything to apprehend. I'm sorry," she teased.

"We'll survive. I must warn you Princess, we have been wary of the rest of this crew; there is something suspicious going on here and we don't like it," he added glumly.

"You can't expect the soldiers to embrace you with open arms," Azula brushed him off.

"We are used to being treated with mistrust and contempt," he assured her. "We are also familiar with treachery, as you recall, Princess."

"You question the loyalty of the soldiers on this mission, then?" Azula asked, not fully caring.

"It is our job to snuff out betrayal. Whatever happens, the Dai Li remain loyal to you, Princess Azula."

"And I thank you for it. Loyalty is hard to come by these days," she lamented, thinking of Ty Lee and Mai, and immediately tried to pretend they didn't exist. "I value and reward it."

"Serving you is its own reward, Princess," the spokesmen answered.

Azula allowed herself a fleeting moment of appreciation. This was why she brought the Dai Li with her to the Fire Nation. Beyond their considerable talents, they worshiped her, and as far as she could tell, it wasn't out of fear. It was true admiration, pure respect, genuine loyalty. It was not something she was used to; not even her own father lavished that sort of affection on her.

They reached the platforms and Azula refocused herself for battle. She looked at the agents once more and stepped outside.

"Go win your glory, Princess," the leader said, and Azula felt herself burst with anticipation of the coming confrontation. This was her moment, and she would seize it. It was perfect.

Once again, she was happy.

* * *

Aang watched the ship lower, and then saw a jet of blue flames coming closer at an alarming rate. As he had predicted, Azula was coming to face him, alone. He stood up and tilted his staff forward, a traditional fighting pose. The princess slowly flew to an "island" across from him, wearing a smile more chilling than the frigid air he was breathing. He kept his eyes on her the entire time, expecting her to attack without warning. Yet no attack came; she stood and stared at him as intensely as he was staring at her.

"So, you've finally stopped running from your destiny, Avatar," she called. "I was beginning to think my brother had taught you cowardice instead of firebending."

"We shape our own destinies, Azula," he answered. "I don't want to fight you, but I will not run from you. Now it is your turn to decide what happens."

"My destiny is to defeat you. The Era of the Avatar is about to end," she declared gleefully.

"You can try," he considered, bracing himself for the onslaught of flames. "But you will fail. I will not let you destroy the world's hope."

"You are arrogant for a simple monk," she taunted. "Are you familiar with the tradition of Agni Kai?"

"The Air Nomads don't have ritualized death matches," Aang said with uncharacteristic spite; the perverse customs of the Fire Nation were so opposed to his beliefs that he could not help but show his disgust.

"You make it sound like wanton slaughter," she mocked. "You don't see the honor and the glory it brings?"

"There is no honor in killing," Aang stated coolly.

"You don't have to kill me if you don't want to," she responded in feigned innocence. "But don't expect the same weakness from me."

The thought never crossed Aang's mind; he never expected anything but cruelty and malice from Azula. He had always believed in the sanctity of life and that there was a basic good in all human beings, but she seemed to be the best argument against those beliefs. There wasn't a hint of mercy, kindness or remorse. Aang tried to remember that she, like Zuko, was a product of her troubled childhood, but she appeared to revel in it.

"Traditionally, the two honorable firebenders turn around and kneel for three seconds before facing each other in combat," Azula continued, apparently determined to continue with her Agni Kai charade. She did exactly as she described, kneeling and placing her hand on the rock. Aang did not trust her for an instant, but followed suit.

As he expected, the "whoosh" of fire burning through the freezing air took less than a second to reach his ears. He spun around and blocked the flames just as Zuko had taught him, breaking the attack and sending it to either side of him, burning the ice on the rocky slope behind him.

"So much for your honor, your Highness," Aang accosted her.

"You're not worthy of my respect." She cackled madly, and sent a fresh wave of fire Aang's way. He leaped into the air and the fire seared the rock where he had been standing. Landing catlike on the ice, he waved his staff to create a blade of air, which she dodged, sending more of the blue flames towards him. This time they went right through the frozen floor, and Aang leaped to her mountain top so as not to fall with the crumbling ice. Blocking a few attacks that he didn't have time to avoid, Aang blasted Azula into the rock, enraging her.

Predictably, she sent more fire blasts his way, this time quicker and less refined. Aang kept his face expressionless as he evaded, but smiled on the inside as each attack melted more and more of the ice surrounding the mountain.

* * *

Roaring through clenched teeth, the princess continued to send a barrage of fire towards him, growing more frustrated as he did nothing but dodge each attack. He wasn't even fighting back. _Why won't you just go into the State, already? _Slowly, she started to wonder if he had been telling the truth back at the Western Air Temple. Was he really unable to tap into the Avatar's power, and expose the Avatar Spirit to her lightning? Could she really be responsible for this? Had she robbed him of this ability when she slayed him in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se? No. It had to be a treacherous ruse, a game. Just like his avoidance and refusal to fight her now. The last of the Air Nomads was every bit as weak and cowardly as the rest of his people.

"STOP WASTING MY TIME, AVATAR!" she screamed in her wrath. "You cannot hope to defeat me with this constant ducking and weaving! Fight me!"

She watched him leap over another flurry of her attacks, and then he backflipped through the air, using his supernatural agility to land back on his island. _Does he ever stop running? _she asked, seething with anger.

"Perhaps, I can't defeat you, but you certainly can," he responded, and waved his hand at the ice between them...or what remained of it. Azula's anger was replaced with shock as she looked at the chasm between them, revealing the valley hundreds of feet below her. She had let her anger control her, allowed him to manipulate her into trapping herself; not even she could leap the distance, and even if she could, she would slip on the ice, or worse, fracture what was left of its structure.

"Good luck getting out of that, Your Highness," he chided.

Azula was consumed with hate, fire escaping from her hands and even her mouth. She longed to end his life, but fought her urges, remembering that her enraged impulses were what got her into this situation. She slowly inhaled and exhaled, forcing herself to be calm, to focus on what to do. She looked at the Avatar, and then behind him. A taller mountain, more edged and less stable, towered above him, and her eyes followed it to its peak. This was no way he could shield himself from the entire mountain; she would force his hand.

Letting go of all of her emotions, she felt electricity surge in her fingertips. Moving her arms in the circles, slower than normal to gather as much energy as possible, she prepared the devastating attack. She aimed at the Avatar, who seemed afraid; clearly, Zuko had not passed on his ability to redirect lightning. She grinned, and then released the energy, apparently directing it at him.

He moved, dodging the attack just like all the others. But this time, it did not anger her; she had planned for him to avoid it.

The lightning struck the mountain, and it shattered and fell. Several things happened in the next few seconds: the Avatar was able to turn the first boulder into harmless sand, but the next one struck him in the chest, sending him onto the ice, which soon collapsed under the force of the fallen rubble. Other rocks came falling her way; she had underestimated the distance they would fly from the force of her blast. She was able avoid a few, but a small rock connected with her skull, knocking her unconscious. She rolled down the slope of the mountain, ripping her armor to shreds. Once again, she had been defeated by her own miscalculations.

Her own failings. Her own inadequacies.

Her imperfection.

* * *

This is the Dai Li.

They were all earthbenders, all born in Ba Sing Se. In their youngest days, older agents performed the traditional test for Earth Kingdom children to see if they were gifted with the ability to bend their element. A stone was placed on a table in front of the children; for most earthbenders, little more than mild shaking signaled their abilities but for the boys who would be Dai Li, the rocks levitated to eye level. It was believed that only an Avatar had a stronger initial reaction to earthbending. Each of them was then enlisted into service, taken away from their parents to join the Dai Li. This was always the parents' choice, and having a Dai Li agent in the family was considered a great honor. Any rumors of coercion of lower class families were, officially, just rumors.

Dai Li training was structured to the last detail. In groups of nine they all practiced the same attacks, the same blocks, and the same unique skills; there was no specialization or variance, all was precisely identical. This extended beyond simple earthbending and stealth training. The words "I", "me" and "my" were removed from their vocabularies and their mindsets; everything was "we" and "our". There was no room for individual expression or differentiation; they had even lost their names. Their name was simply the Dai Li. The Dai Li was not a group, it was a single entity. They attacked as one. They thought as one. They acted as one.

With such a rigid, stale outlook on life, the Dai Li were totally devoted to their limited concerns, which consisted of one and only one goal; serve and protect whoever the leader was. Officially, that had been the Earth King. Unofficially, it was once Long Feng. Now it was Azula, the Fire Nation Princess. It was treason, but it was group treason, absolute treason, and fully devoted treason. The Dai Li once believed that Long Feng was the embodiment of their values, the representation of everything they believed in. He was powerful, he was subtle, he was clever, he commanded authority. But Azula was more powerful, more subtle, more clever, and commanded more authority.

That she was Fire Nation was inconsequential. The Dai Li did not owe allegiance to the Fire Nation, or the Fire Lord. Nor did they give it; they served Azula and only Azula. Her father, Fire Lord Ozai was strong and cunning, and certainly could give them more material value if they served him but this didn't matter to the Dai Li. If that had been the case, they would have served the Earth King. Azula had strength and cunning beyond that of her father, and the Dai Li knew she would one day ascend to the throne. Not that it mattered. They would have followed her even if she were a pauper on the streets; she had, as she put it, "the divine right to rule". And that's why it was her, and only her, who earned their absolute fealty.

She was the Dai Li's ideal. Their perfection. And for that, they served her. Protected her.

Worshiped her.

Loved her.

* * *

It was her fault. Her lightening destroyed the rocks, buried her and the Avatar beneath the rubble. Gasping in shock, the Dai Li's spokesman left the Fire Nation soldiers behind, and the other two Dai Li agents mirrored his exit. They landed on the mountain peak where Princess Azula stood moments before. After the avalanche, much more of the mountain side was revealed, leading to a pile of snow-covered boulders and shards of ice. Seconds later, the other six agents in their group were at the same location. They exchanged worried glances, and then moved the stones out of the way in an attempt to come to her aid. Unfortunately, moving the rocks simply caused the massive build-up of earth and ice to shift violently. Several tense seconds past until the movement stopped. Their stone-covered fists tightened; it was too dangerous to proceed this way. The unsteady surface could collapse, killing them, or worse, Azula.

They paced and pondered how best to go about solving this problem. It wasn't one they were used to; stealth, combat, reconnaissance, even assassination, they knew how to do. But rescue? So lost in thought were the Dai Li that none noticed Colonel Shyno and the Imperial Firebenders walking towards them, along with most of the soldiers they were supposed to be leading into combat with the Avatar. The spokesman noticed that three were missing from a battalion, but gave it no further thought; given how sudden the avalanche was, he was surprised that more Fire Nation soldiers hadn't been lost.

"Men, back onto the Airship, we're leaving!" Shyno's voice boomed impressively, catching the Dai Li off guard. They all turned to face the aging, pudgy Fire Nation colonel. Once, long ago, he was a great warrior, but promotions and the corresponding luxury had made him lazy. He was still an efficient, if not particularly subtle tactician, possessing the kind of ruthlessness that Ozai praised in his officers.

The spokesman stepped forward, giving Shyno a good look at his stone-faced anger. "Excuse me, Colonel, I know I couldn't have heard that right. The princess and the Avatar are buried; it would be inadvisable to leave them," he threatened, and each of the Dai Li assumed a stance that looked neutral to the untrained eye, but from which they could easily fire their rock gloves.

"There is no way anyone could have survived that," Shyno concluded hastily, with a sickening amount of satisfaction on his face that caused the Dai Li to grit their teeth. "Our mission is complete; we are leaving."

Without raising his voice, the spokesmen put every bit of menace he could into his tone. "You fool. You clearly underestimate the Avatar's power, and even worse, you underestimate the power of the princess. What would your Fire Lord think if you abandoned his daughter without even searching?"

Shyno's disturbing smile broadened. "The Fire Lord will be pleased to know his daughter was successful in defeating the Avatar. If she could not survive the battle, that is her problem, not ours," he explained darkly.

At this, the Dai Li almost lost their composure. "You may not care for Azula's fate, but we do. It is not wise to oppose the Dai Li, Colonel."

"Nor is it wise to oppose the Fire Lord, whom you owe your allegiance to now that Azula is no more," Shyno countered coolly.

"The Dai Li do not serve the Fire Lord or the Fire Nation!" the spokesman shouted angrily. "None commands us but Azula!"

"You Earthbending brutes are more like komodo rhinos than men!" Shyno taunted. "Obeying your precious Azula like children obey their mothers. Nonetheless, I think you would be wise to obey my commands. You're already traitors to the Earth Kingdom. Betraying another nation is simply folly."

The Dai Li relaxed their stances, and their eyes shifted to each other. At once, the same thoughts entered their heads. They were outmanned and overpowered, and committing a second "treason" could end in their deaths. Dead Dai Li were of no use to Azula. Was it better to go along with Shyno's orders for now, and trust that their princess would survive long enough for them to form a more organized rescue? They did not fear death, but being unable to help Azula terrified them. This was their purpose, their reason for existing. It consumed them.

So they only had one option.

"Very well, Colonel," the spokesmen finally conceded, still recalcitrant. "We shall return to your nation. But rest assured, the Fire Lord will hear of how you abandoned Azula to let her freeze to death. I hear that he isn't nearly as forgiving as we are."

Shyno laughed, then waved his hand, signaling everyone to go back onto the airship. The Dai Li followed, reluctantly but without complaint. When they were safe in their chambers, they gave wordless agreement; Shyno would suffer for this. Until then, they would simply have to trust that she would be alright. If anyone could survive this situation, it was her.


	3. Reckless Decisions

_Where are you? And why are you taking so long?_ Zuko wondered, searching the night sky for any sign of Aang. But there was nothing. Just a bunch of stars and clouds, and the moon, almost full. The only sounds were crickets chirping, Momo's anxious cooing, and his own nervous breaths.

Zuko had directed Appa to a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, south enough to be in the Fire Nation but north enough to be of no consequence. It was grassy and hospitable, though the only life was insects and a few birds flying overhead. Had he not been constantly searching the sky for the Avatar, he probably wouldn't have noticed those either. A light breeze provided a pleasant temperature.

More importantly, the island had a large cave with a small entrance that wouldn't be noticed by the airships if they flew overhead. Certainly, Momo would see them before they saw him, so they were relatively safe. Sokka, Toph and Suki had rushed into the cave, dragging the shackled Katara in with them. The waterbender had been released from her cuffs, but the group made sure to keep her far away from Zuko. Partly to avoid her, but mostly out of concern for the Avatar, Zuko had volunteered to serve as lookout. If either Aang or the airships flew overhead, he would know and alert the others in time.

But it had been more than twelve hours, and his hope was fading.

_What if he's been captured? _Zuko thought. _Or killed? What are we going to do?_

The prince tried not to allow himself to consider these possibilities. His uncle taught him to never give in to despair, and he did little other than dwell on Iroh's teachings now. They were the only happy memories he had from the last five years, since his mother was banished. But in this situation, it was difficult to believe his sage wisdom was anything more than the ramblings of an old fool. Zuko felt so lost, helpless and useless; the hopes of the entire world rested on the Avatar, but Aang had put himself in mortal peril to save Zuko and everyone else. If his father carried out his plans to burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground and Aang was not there to stop it, it would be his fault. This wasn't a burden that he was prepared to bear.

"Still no sign of him?" called Sokka, who had walked out of the cave unnoticed by the prince, so focused was he on his vigil.

Without looking, Zuko nodded in assent. "Quiet as a tomb."

The Water Tribal made a noise halfway between a groan and whine. "Couldn't you have picked a better phrase?" he chided, and Zuko turned around to see Sokka's face, unusually solemn. Finally snapping out of his self-absorbed musings, he felt terrible for the simile and the unfortunate double meaning.

"I'm sorry, Sokka. It's difficult to be positive knowing I can't help him," Zuko apologized. "I hate not being able to do anything."

"I know what you mean," Sokka affirmed. Momo leaped onto his shoulders and took some of the nuts out of his hands. "You know, it's also hard to keep a positive attitude on an empty stomach! Suki made some GREAT soup. No meat unfortunately, but it's still fantastic!" He gave Zuko an enthusiastic thumbs up and grinned like a maniac as he shilled his girlfriend's cooking.

The prince simply stood still and grimaced. "I'm not hungry," he deadpanned.

"Zuko, you haven't eaten anything all day! That's inhuman!" he shrieked, obviously trying to bring some levity to the situation, but Zuko maintained his somber mood. Sokka sighed. "Come on, just go inside and eat. It's my turn to be be lookout."

"No, Sokka," he declined bitterly. "This is my fault. I'll stay out here until Aang comes back."

The Tribal walked up to Zuko and placed his hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "It's not your fault. Aang left to fight Azula, and it was his decision."

"But it was my decision to leave!" the prince yelled.

"Because Aang told you to," Sokka reminded him.

"Azula wouldn't have even found us if I hadn't stolen her airship and flown back to the temple!"

"And we wouldn't have gotten the airship if I hadn't wanted to go the Boiling Rock," Sokka countered. "Quit blaming yourself for everything. Sometimes bad stuff just happens, and you've got to deal with it."

Zuko growled in exasperation and guilt. He knew Sokka was right, but he wanted to take the blame. That was just his nature, to accept that everything was his problem and he had to fix it. Even though that made no sense, it's just the way he was.

"Look Zuko, Aang's going to be okay. He always finds a way. And he wouldn't want us to sit around moping," Sokka continued. This was certainly the truth. Aang was eternally optimistic and always expected the universe to go his way eventually. Zuko felt the exact opposite, but perhaps it was time to embrace Aang's way of thinking.

"You're right," Zuko said. "It doesn't do me any good to be sorry for myself. I've got to stay positive."

"That's the spirit!" Sokka cheered him and slapped him on the back, to his great annoyance. "Now go eat or you'll fall asleep on the job and be completely useless!"

"Gee, thanks," Zuko muttered. "You always know how to brighten my mood."

Sokka glowered at him. "Hey, sarcasm is MY thing, got it?" he threatened unconvincingly, pointing a finger into Zuko's chest. In spite of himself, the prince found he couldn't help but crack a smile. He placed his own hand on Sokka's shoulder in a gesture of friendship, then started to walk off. However, recalling Sokka's loyalty to him, Zuko stopped.

"Hey, Sokka, thanks for sticking up for me to your sister. I appreciate it," he said gratefully.

The Tribal shrugged. "Don't mention it," he answered. "You've earned my trust."

Again, Zuko smiled faintly and he walked into the cave. He saw the glow of a campfire about fifty feet away, and Suki and Toph sitting on stone benches that were obviously made by the blind earthbender. Regretting that he hadn't been inside to start a fire, Zuko sat down next to Toph. Both girls were uncomfortably silent and wearing sullen expressions. Even Appa seemed too worried about Aang to complain about being underground. _Maybe Sokka should try to cheer _them _up, _Zuko thought.

The smell of vegetable broth and rice filled his nostrils, and Zuko suddenly realized how famished he was.

"Um, Sokka said I should come eat your soup," he told Suki.

"Oh, sure, let me get it for you," she responded pleasantly and fixed him a bowl. Zuko took a spoonful; it was delicious. Placing the spoon next to him, he leaned the bowl to his mouth and chugged every last bit of it, waking his taste buds and warming his throat. Zuko pulled the bowl away from his mouth and let out a satisfied gasp.

Suki was staring at him and Zuko felt slightly embarrassed. "So, did you uh, like the soup?"

"Like it?" he laughed heartily. "This is great! Can I have some more?"

"Yeah, of course!" she said happily and took his bowl and filled it up again. This time Zuko was more polite about eating the soup, taking slow spoonfuls and savoring the taste.

"Seems like your uncle is rubbing off on you, Zuko," Toph analyzed, and Zuko saw that she was smirking.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" he asked, contemplating whether this particular habit of Iroh's was a good thing.

"Oh, it's nothing," she brushed him off, blushing slightly. "I just figure I better start learning how to cook if I'm going to be Sokka's...girlfriend," she stammered, and seemed to avoid Zuko's gaze. He understood the feeling; he had acted the same way whenever Ty Lee teased him about liking Mai.

"Please!" Toph interjected. "All you have to do is drop a slab of meat on a plate and he's happy. He's not exactly the picture of culinary refinement."

Suki giggled and Zuko chuckled. It felt good to be able to laugh at something.

"Ha ha," called a dark voice behind the prince that chilled him to the bone.

He turned to face Katara, who was unchained and glaring at the three of them. If looks could kill, Aang would not have a group to return to. "I'm so glad you're all having such a great time," she scolded menacingly. "Pardon me if I don't join in."

Suki nervously reached for a bowl. "Would you like me to get you some..."

"I can get it myself," she interrupted sourly. She snatched the bowl out of Suki's hand and angrily bent the soup into her bowl. Without looking at them or saying another word, she stomped down a tunnel to Zuko's right. He and Suki looked at each other in complete silence until her footsteps faded into the distance.

"Has she been like that all day?" Zuko inquired.

Shaking her head violently, Suki corrected him. "No, she's been worse."

"Much worse," Toph added. "You're lucky she didn't try to strangle you again."

"She's right though," Suki admitted. "How can we act happy when Aang is missing? We should be looking for him."

Zuko clenched his teeth. It didn't matter what Sokka said. This was his responsibility, and he had to fix it. But first he had to fix Katara, or die trying. The second option didn't seem like much of a stretch, if at all.

"I'm going to go talk to her," he declared.

"Do you want me to make your tombstone now, or after?" Toph asked, and Zuko couldn't tell if she was being serious or merely joking. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Without answering, Zuko got up from his seat and walked after the waterbender.

* * *

Aang groaned and clutched his ribs. He was sure one of them was cracked, and could feel blood escaping through several cuts. He opened his eyes yet saw nothing but pitch blackness. He used his firebending to give himself light; he had fallen into what seemed a surprisingly round rock formation, and one of the boulders had shut him in. Aang assumed it was a geyser, dormant for centuries, perhaps truly dead. He cringed when he looked at his hand, covered in crimson. Vowing not to look at the source of the bleeding, he forced himself to stand up, cringing in pain. He stumbled to the wall, and made his own door, shoving the rock to the ground and falling on it.

The rest of his surroundings only provided minor lighting, but it was enough for Aang to see what he was doing. Taking off his tattered orange shawl, he wrapped it around his ribs as a makeshift bandage. He winced as he pulled it securely, and just laid down and grumbled in discomfort. Forcing himself to sit up and create another torch, he analyzed his whereabouts. He was trapped in an amphitheater of rock and ice. The "ceiling" was the frozen layer of ice, supported almost unnaturally by the mountains, with only the faintest trace of sunlight shining through. Aside from the tallest peaks, several smaller ones jutted out from the earth like enormous stalagmites.

Aang shuddered. Not from the cold, for the "cavern" was insulated much like an igloo. He shuddered because he could not suppress a certain..._eerie _feeling about this place. The need to escape consumed him, and despite the fact that the stabbing pain in his ribs was so strong that it hurt to even sit up, he was willing to fly. But his glider was nowhere to be found! There was no way he could fly up out of here without it; he would have to find another way.

Suddenly, the Avatar heard the familiar whoosh of fire burning through the air. He silenced himself and listened more attentively; heavy footsteps and heavier breathing came from the same direction as the flames. Groaning in frustration, Aang forced himself to repress his discomfort and leaped to an elevated surface. Sure enough, Princess Azula was the one shooting flames. As soon as he saw her, Aang went deathly silent and quickly created a rock shield to hide behind.

But this was not the Azula he knew. Her armor was cracked, her clothes torn, her hair unkempt, blood dripping from a cut on her right cheek. Beyond the physical damage, something about the wild, jagged way she was moving and the rasping, seething breaths, was just so utterly different from the way he knew her to be. She had always been calm, cold, graceful and emotionless. Now it seemed as if all of the anger and frustration that bubbled under the service had exploded out of her and possessed her. Paradoxically, she appeared both more vulnerable and more dangerous than she ever had before. It was offsetting to say the very least.

Aang tried to sneak away, but the pain pierced him once more, and he gasped.

Two seconds later, his shield was blasted to tiny pebbles by lightning, and Aang was knocked to the floor. Wincing and clutching his ribs once more, Aang's eyes opened to meet the crazed gaze of the Princess. All of her teeth showed in her demonic smile, and soon she rained blue fire upon him, and there was little for him to do except roll out of the way. Barely evading each shot, Aang used his airbending to assist in a backflip that tore at his ribs, and then formed a more durable earth shield out of two rock sheets that absorbed the flame. He sent both slates of rock at Azula, but she dodged them effortlessly and renewed her assault.

Aang was unable to do anything but simple parries (mimicked by the rock that did the actual blocking) for several moments. Finally, adrenalin kicked in and he sent a powerful air-blast at Azula that knocked her back, but she landed catlike and braced herself, then blasted a wheel of of blue fire at him with a single front-flip kick. Aang managed to erect a tower of stone just in time to keep the fire from coming into contact with him, but he began sweating as the burning flames passed him.

Once again, the Avatar's rock-solid defense was blown to bits by lightning, and one of the fragments flew into Aang. His ribs now searing under fresh assault, he forced himself to turn around and bend a tunnel through the small hill he was sent into. He spun his body like a drill and came up on top of the ledge, with a wall to his back and snow beneath his tattered boots. Azula charged him and this time Aang had enough time to destroy her flames before they reached him.

Taking advantage of the new bendable at his disposal, Aang melted the snow and molded the water into the Octopus Form. This advanced waterbending technique allowed him to effectively block Azula's attacks without moving too much, though his ribs were still killing him. Of course, the other option was to be killed, literally. So he pressed on with his defenses as the Princess kept advancing.

Finally, she got a running start and jumped off of a ramp, hoping to get higher angles for her fireballs. With her finally in range, Aang adjusted his technique so that four of the tentacles formed a single large tentacle, which he wrapped around her. Then he slammed her onto the ground, more forcefully than he intended to, the pain of his ribs keeping him from exerting complete control. The water splashed around the Princess, drenching her, but she stood up and growled, more tenacious than ever.

Out of self defense, Aang froze the other tentacles into potentially lethal ice missiles and aimed them at Azula, but one kick produced an arc of flame that melted all of them. She spun around and thrust both of her palms out, sending a steady stream of fire his way. Acting as fast as he could, he formed his rock armor and stood his ground as he was bathed in her flames. Gritting his teeth due to the scorching heat, Aang shoved the rocks off of him as soon as the last embers touched him.

Still persistent, she jumped onto his ledge, landing in the snow. Instinctively, the Avatar froze the snow around her legs, causing her to lose her balance when trying an attack. She braced herself with her hand and Aang formed another ice binding around it, catching her in a very compromised position.

Smirking at his accomplishment, Aang clutched his ribs and limped closer to her. "Now, your Highness, don't you think it's time to give it a rest?" he exhaled roughly.

Her answer was to breathe fire at Aang, catching him off guard. He barely managed to block it, but by then Azula had freed her hand from the ice and shot two cobalt cones of flame, and Aang was forced to lie down to avoid it. As he scurried back into a standing position, she was already conjuring up her next bolt of lightening. With almost no time to act, Aang tumbled out of the way and the blast of electricity struck into the wall. For the second time in a day, Azula shattered the structure of a mountain, and this time she was directly under the avalanche, and frozen to the floor.

Aang's noble upbringing and kind soul took over his mind. Forsaking reason for the sake of mercy, Aang jumped in front of the large rock that was about to crush the Fire Princess, and split the rock cleanly in two. The pieces landed to either side of the benders and rolled safely over the hill.

The Avatar turned around and faced Azula, her mouth agape and her body trembling. For once, there was not a look of calculation, or confidence, or even anger. She seemed to be in shock, both of the fact that she had almost been killed, and more so because she was rescued. He was almost as shocked, not at his actions, but at her reaction. She looked almost innocent. Remembering that Zuko, his teacher and trusted friend, had once been a monster like her, he felt a surge of compassion.

Once again, he risked approaching her, though this time it was not to gloat. "Are you..." he began, and it was as if his voice snapped her out of her vulnerability. Her lips pursed, her eyes narrowed, and her shoulders raised. Aang gasped, and then she punched him in the ribs, doubling him over. The Avatar felt her cold hands grasp his ears, and then a hard CRACK as she headbutted him. Stumbling out of reach, her heard her melt her frozen bindings and charge.

The cheap shots after he had just saved her life brought out the anger in Aang. As she attacked, he grabbed her wrists firmly in his hands and glared at her, staring directly into her golden eyes. Fear overtook her once more, and Aang fell back and launched her into the wall with a kick to her ribs. A sickening thud followed, but still she rose up, and prepared to fight once more.

This time, Aang would have none of it. He used airbending to push her into the wall, and made quick scratching movements to put her in solid rock cuffs that she could NOT melt. First her hands, and then her legs. She leaned forward, once again breathing fire, but he dissipated the flames, pushed her back against the wall with another air blast, then bent a final binding across her waist.

With an expression as steely as his gray eyes, Aang looked at the captured princess. She was bound and completely at his mercy. The fight was over. But not for her. She continued to struggle and writhe, but it did not avail her. She roared savagely at him, a primal sound of rage and hatred that scared Aang, though he refused to show it. Azula was acting more like an animal than a rational human being.

She spat at him. Aang ignored this and walked slowly away. Exhausted, but unwilling to risk sleep, he fell down and began meditating. Even with her guttural snarling, he found it easy to give himself to thinking about nothing. He needed the rest.

* * *

Shadows flickered on the walls in the light of Zuko's flame. He went deeper into the cave, following the winding tunnel that Katara had gone down. Dreading the inevitable confrontation but resolved to go through with it, the Prince kept a slow but steady pace as he walked. Finally, he saw Katara sitting, and to his horror, her feet were in an underground pool. She was dangerous enough with just the water in her pouch; with this much to bend, he would really be tempting his fate talking to her.

Ignoring his nerves, he stepped closer to the girl.

"What do you want?" she said in a whisper so venomous that he would have preferred she yelled at him. Zuko gulped and risked taking another step. No response.

"Nothing," he lied unconvincingly, and Katara huffed in disbelief.

Two more steps, and she stayed still. Her bowl of soup rested in one hand, undisturbed.

"You, uh...haven't touched your food," he said awkwardly.

"So what?" she said, and tossed the bowl aside in disgust. Zuko gritted his teeth and sat down.

"What do you want?" she repeated, glaring at him with one eye. Zuko averted her gaze.

"For you to not hate me," he admitted solemnly.

"Tough luck," she spat, and he felt his heart sink. "Go away," she ordered bitterly.

"But I..."

"GO AWAY BEFORE I HURT YOU!" she yelled as she rose to her feet. With her hands balled into fists, her shoulders raising steadily, her teeth gnashing and her eyes glued to him, she was terrifying. Zuko wished for a second that it was Azula standing in front of him now. He instinctively scooted away on his hands and buttocks but did not flee.

"Katara, I'm worried about you," he shouted in exasperation.

"Worry about yourself, Zuko," she threatened, pointing at him. "If it weren't for Sokka, I would have choked every last breath out of your backstabbing lungs!"

"Katara, I didn't betray any of you!" he cried in self-defense. He'd betrayed his country, his family and his girlfriend for their sakes, and he wasn't going to betray anyone again.

"Right, and I guess I just imagined the airships destroying another Air Temple, or your sister shooting fire at Aang, or us leaving him behind while you ran away like a coward!" she vented, and this time tears were filling her eyes.

"He TOLD us to go!" Zuko pleaded his case.

"Well, Aang doesn't always know what's best! He has this stupid idea that he can save everyone by himself, that he doesn't need us. Well, he does. He'd be dead if it wasn't for me!" she continued to rant. "And he's probably dead now," she said, falling to her knees and weeping. "Stupid kid..." she whispered through her sobs.

Zuko was amazed at how much Aang's absence and peril had dismantled Katara. She'd been on edge ever since he had joined the group, but this was something else entirely. She was angry and upset, and afraid. Zuko forgot his fear and felt pity and sympathy for her. "Katara, are you..." he began.

"Why..do..you...CARE?" she growled, and lunged at him, putting her hand on his throat. She didn't squeeze, but had a murderous look on her tear-stained face. Zuko stood resolute, grasping her hand gently.

"Because I'm scared, too," he answered.

Katara growled and pounded his chest with her fists in frustration. Zuko expected more of an assault, but to his surprise, she leaned her head against him and cried her eyes out. Unable to fight his instincts, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She continued to bawl for several minutes until she coughed.

"Tell me he's going to be okay," she whispered, her voice hoarse from exhaustion.

"But Katara, I don't kn..." he started.

"JUST TELL ME!" she demanded.

Zuko tightened his grasp. "Aang's going to be okay," he said, and repeated it several more times as Katara gradually began to calm down.

She was still trembling, but she wiped the water from her red eyes and looked at him. "I'm sorry Zuko. I don't hate you. But I trusted you first and you betrayed me. You can't just say you're good and expect me to forget it just like that. And this is a really, REALLY terrible time to make friends."

Zuko nodded. "You going to be okay?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I need some time alone."

Again, he nodded and let her go. He walked away, and Katara knelt beside the pool, holding her arms to her ribs and looking at her reflection.

* * *

_There's no way out, _he thought. _I'm trapped._

Aang had spent almost fifteen minutes deep in thought, but couldn't picture any way out of this cavern. His glider was lost, his ribs were probably broken, he was still bleeding, and he couldn't go into the Avatar State. Even with all of his talent, he was so incredible vulnerable right now it was driving him mad. He hadn't felt this weak in a long time. He HAD to get out, but how could he?

His thought process was interrupted by raspy, heavy breathing. He opened his eyes and saw Azula, still bound to the stone wall. She had to be uncomfortable, but it wasn't pain that was on her face. She was seething with rage. Aang shook his head. Just like him, she was clearly not used to being helpless. Her defeat at his hands seemed to bring out the absolute worst in her, but he wasn't scared. Gyatso once said that pity was a form of contempt, and this accurately described his feelings towards her.

_But what to DO with her? _he asked himself. Logic said that he couldn't release her, or they'd be battling again. But his conscious wouldn't let him just leave her there to die. Evil though she was, she was still a human being and, at least to the monk, deserved to live.

The worst part was the throbbing, irritating voice in his head that said, _She can help._ It was an absurd thought, but Aang was at his wit's end. He was running out of options. And sometimes, crazy works. He stood up, clutched his side again, and stepped towards Azula, but still keeping a healthy distance.

"Azula?" he asked, trying to keep a civil tone.

She raised her head in acknowledgment, her piercing eyes saying everything she wasn't.

"We need to get out of here," he said.

"WE?" she spat. "There's no 'we' here, Avatar."

"Well, you can't get out of that, or you would have by now. So you can just freeze to death if you want, but I'm trying to offer you an alternative," he raised his voice, starting to lose his temper.

"Oh, are you just going to let me go?" she grinned. "You honestly expect me to believe that?"

"Azula, maybe you haven't noticed, but neither of us are exactly one hundred percent right now. I need to get out, you need to get out, and we have a better chance of survival if we work together," he explained.

The princess guffawed. "WORK TOGETHER? You must be joking. I'd rather freeze to death than work with you. Did you forget who I am?"

"No, I'm well aware of who you are," he said. "You're Princess Azula, one of the most powerful firebenders in the world..."

"THE most powerful," she corrected proudly.

Aang groaned. "Right. And I know you are smart and tough and you know how to survive. I'm in a bind. I need help. And so are you. Literally."

She grimaced and looked away. She seemed to be contemplating what he was saying. Aang sighed, took a deep breath, and squeezed his hands. The earth holding Azula crumbled to dust, and the Princess fell to the ground.

"You're free. Now, are we going to fight again, or will you listen to my offer?"

* * *

She felt the chill of the snow under her hands. She watched as one tiny drip from her cut colored it crimson. Then her eyes looked farther out, seeing two feet with blue arrow tattoos. The markings of an airbending master, the markings of her nation's enemy and her blood trophy. He was standing over her kneeling body, which he had just released. For several minutes, she had been his prisoner, and she was still at his mercy. Were their situations reversed, he would already be dead.

Yet the cold air still filled her lungs, and blood still flowed through her body, giving her the natural, life-saving heat that only firebenders were blessed with. And the snow melted under her hands as rage and frustration manifested itself in flame.

_He's right_, she thought to herself. _I can't get out of here alone...not without him as my prisoner. If he leaves me here, how can I even return home without the Avatar? Imagine the shame...me, Azula, foiled again. I won't be a legend, I'll be a laughing stock._

Thoughts swirled in her head as she tried to find a way to manipulate the situation to her advantage. But she had nothing. She was injured, tired, and who knew where or when she would find food and shelter? She had no allies, no servants here. The Dai Li could not come to her aid. And it was clear that even at her best, she was no match for the Avatar in combat. _He's better than me, the cursed child._

Azula felt anger, which she was used to. But new emotions, ones that hadn't been a part of her psyche for years, were seeping in. Fear. Self-doubt. Disappointment.

Vulnerability.

She felt sick to her stomach even admitting to that feeling, but it could not be helped. The Avatar simply had everything in his favor. There was no foreseeable way to win this time. And to make it worse, he was asking for her help, and offering his in return. Suggesting they work together.

The Princess wished the Avatar would take her life and rid her of these feelings. Forced to feel them, she could not figure out how to cope, and his plan of cooperation was just a further insult. She could never work with him. Not as a partner, an equal. Even if he was the Avatar, he was really nothing more than a simple monk, the last remnant of a people that had been selected for extinction. And she was royalty, the daughter of the most powerful political figure in the world. She would inherit the earth, though she was anything but meek.

_No, I will not work with him, _she declared. _But, perhaps...I can get him to work for me._

Azula inhaled her dignity, confidence, and calculation. She exhaled her emotions, doubts and damnable vulnerability. The beast she had been moments ago may be the real Azula, but her mask of "noble princess" was one she wore comfortably. Standing up, she faced the boy, putting on a light, casually arrogant smile. His expression statuesque, standing firm and detached.

"Very well, Avatar. I am listening," she appeased him, putting as much reluctance as she could into the words so she would appear to be considering his offer out of desperation and not treachery.

Without so much as raising an eyebrow, he responded stoically, "You and I work together to get out of here. I do not attack you, you do not attack me. We take care of each other, watch each others' backs. If we escape, we go our separate ways."

"A truce then," she condensed. "Well, that works for you, since you can just fly away from here once we are out. Where does that leave me?" she asked with false worry. She had a pretty good idea who would be waiting for them.

"Seeing as you're a princess, I'm sure the Fire Nation will be searching for you. If anything, I expect this deal to be more a risk for myself than for you," was his reply.

Azula inwardly smirked. He had reached the same deduction she had, and so was asking for amnesty. She could hardly believe how much this tipped the balance of power in her favor. He was proposing a plan that relied entirely on him being able to trust her. It was almost too easy.

"So, I suppose you want me to let you run free and not have the Fire Nation attack you as you make yet another narrow escape from my grasp." He nodded. Azula's confidence soared...he was playing right into her hands.

"Done," she said, extending her hand.

"How do I know I can trust you?" he said, refusing to take her hand.

"How do I know I can trust you?" she countered with a smirk.

"Because I'm not a treacherous rat-viper."

"Ohhh, that stings," she whispered. "I suppose you simply have to trust that I will hold to my word."

He took a slow, hesitant breath. "Swear it."

"I swear I will let you go free when I am safely in the hands of my nation," she lied with effortless flair.

An unsure sigh escaped the boy's lips. Then he reached his hand out to match hers. Their hands clasped, two rivals following the code of sportsmanship before the game.

"Done," he agreed in deadpan assent.

_Fool._


End file.
